ENS 43857
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
06:00 Dec 5, 2007 | |
| Title | Wisconsin Agreement State Report - Leaking Tritium Exit Sign |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via facsimile:
The licensee reported the discovery of a broken tritium exit sign on December 5, 2007, during an inspection. The sign had been damaged at some unknown previous date. The licensee had collected exit signs for disposal. A worker recalled having difficulty removing a sign and prying it off the wall. The frame broke and pieces fell to the floor. He also recalls sweeping up the pieces, including broken tubes and placing in normal trash. The unbroken tubes were collected, and the sign reassembled. The sign is currently bagged and stored in a secured storage area, pending disposal by a contractor. DHFS intends to investigate. Staff will be present when the contractor arrives to wipe test and package all the exit signs for disposition. The licensee notified the state on December 19, 2007 via telephone and facsimile. WI Event Report ID No.: 070030
On December 20, 2007, Kimberly-Clark Corporation notified the DHFS [Department of Health and Family Services] of a damaged tritium exit sign. According to the licensee, the damage occurred on an unknown previous date during a collection of exit signs with tritium and the damage was not discovered until December 05, 2007. All collected exit signs were placed in secure locked storage room pending disposal. Licensee arranged with a contracted waste disposal company for disposal of the signs. During an investigation of the event on January 15-16, 2008, a DHFS inspector reconstructed the event and interviewed the worker who damaged the tritium exit sign. The employee indicated that the damage happened in August 2006. He recalled having difficulty removing the sign and eventually had to pry it off the wall. When this was done the sign frame broke and various pieces fell to the ground. The pieces, including broken tubes, were swept up and placed in the normal trash. The broken tubes were collected and the sign reassembled. The damaged sign was placed in a plastic bag and turned in with the remaining signs that had been removed that day. The employee did not report the incident other than the frame was damaged during removal. A dose assessment performed by DHFS, indicated that the maximum uptake to the worker was 68 mCi of tritium (less than required 5 times the ALI of 80 mCi). DHFS wipe tests were performed at 3 points on the floor, where pieces of the exit sign, including broken tubes, would have fallen and one area ~20 feet above the floor. Results of the survey indicated that maximum contamination was 3970 dpm/100 cm [squared] on the floor. The contracted waste disposal company wipe tested all signs and storage area contamination prior to disposal. Results of survey indicated that maximum contamination did not exceed 40dpm/100 cm [squared]. All exit signs, including the broken item, were shipped out on January 16, 2008. Licensee intends to contract with a consultant company to perform additional wipe tests of the accident area and to clean up the area if it is necessary. DHFS will close this event once the area has been decontaminated. Since the dose estimate was less than the 5 times the ALI, DHFS retracts the report to NRC Operations Center. Notified R3DO (Pelke) and FSME EO (Flanders). |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Kimberly-Clark, Inc. Marinette, Wisconsin (NRC Region 3) | |
| License number: | Gl |
| Organization: | Wisconsin Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+370.75 h15.448 days <br />2.207 weeks <br />0.508 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Cheryl Rogers 16:45 Dec 20, 2007 |
| NRC Officer: | Jeff Rotton |
| Last Updated: | Mar 7, 2008 |
| 43857 - NRC Website | |
Kimberly-Clark, Inc. with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 438572007-12-05T06:00:0005 December 2007 06:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Wisconsin Agreement State Report - Leaking Tritium Exit Sign 2007-12-05T06:00:00 | |